The Leviathan-class hauler rose from the trench like a wounded leviathan breaching the surface. The sea around it churned as the last remnants of the Hive flagship dissolved into drifting debris. A gray dawn spread across the sky, illuminating the Vault's spires in soft light.
Seraphel, slumped in Julius's arms, stirred as they approached. "We should not linger," she murmured. "Residual code may awaken."
Julius nodded, carefully settling her onto a medical cradle near the aft hold. The Vault's entrance yawned ahead—doors still sealed. Ryka hurried forward, issuing clearance codes to the Marines guarding the ramps. Veyrion's massive form blocked the Vapor Bridle as it docked; he knelt to brace himself for the landing's tremor.
Brinley disembarked first, offering a hand to Selene. "You doing okay?" he asked, voice gentle for once.
Selene nodded, rubbing her forehead. "Just data overload. The nexus was hive-morphic, but there were vestiges of the Architect everywhere. I still feel like pieces of me are… rewritten."
Vara followed behind, armor scorched. "You did good work. The Forge Seed cast a wide net—fire and code burning in tandem."
Julius descended last, Seraphel leaning against him. He watched as the Vault's doors peeled open in solemn welcome. Inside, the air was cooler, and faint glyphs glowed across the walls—recordings of recent events. Saplings of living circuits sprouted in corners, healing fissures. The Vault was alive, as always.
Ryka's guards formed a path for them. At the heart of the Vault—the Forge Chamber—Gunner squads unloaded crates of supplies and resealed broken conduits. Orla Vey stood overseeing them, her cybernetic eye flickering as she studied Julius's return. When he approached, she offered a curt nod.
"You survived," she stated rather than asked.
Julius set Seraphel gently on a service table. "We did more than survive."
Orla crossed her arms. "The vault is secure, but the ocean breaches still simmer. Smaller hive pods may linger in pockets."
Brinley stepped forward. "We'll send in cleaning squads. Vesper and Hollow Kin teams will scour the trenches until there's nothing left."
Veyrion shifted beside Seraphel's table. "And I will remain sentinel," he rumbled. "Ensure the Seed's integrity until the Source's echoes vanish."
Seraphel's glow pulsed faintly. "That echo lingers in me. I must purge it fully."
"Rest," Julius replied, patting her armored shoulder. "You've earned it."
Selene joined them, datapad in hand. "I'll run diagnostics on every core fragment. If any trace of hive code remains, I'll find it here."
Vara surveyed the Forge Chamber. "We should celebrate," she said softly. "We stopped a god, after all."
Brinley cracked a grin. "Celebration sounds good. As long as we don't have another hive war first."
Laughter rippled through the group—a moment of levity in a long, brutal campaign.
Julius took a final look at the Forge Seed, pulsing serenely in its cradle. "This is more than a beginning," Seraphel whispered. "It's a promise."
Outside, the ocean calmed. The trench lay quiet beneath drifting sunlight. As the Vault's doors sealed, the first wave of healing light spread across the antechamber.
The Vanguard had won this battle. Now, they would guard the dawn—forge a future where no Hive could consume hope again.